Film and cameras that are all in one, commonly referred to as single-use or one-time-use cameras, have recently become well known. Typically, the one-time-use camera is a simple point-and-shoot type comprising a main body part which supports a fixed-focus taking lens, a film metering mechanism including a rotatable metering sprocket and a pivotable metering lever, a manually rotatable film winder thumbwheel, a pivotable single-blade shutter, a manually depressible shutter release button, a rotatable frame counter for indicating the number of exposures remaining for picture-taking, a direct see-through viewfinder, and a conventional 35 mm film cartridge. A pair of front and rear cover parts house the main body part between them to complete the camera assembly. The rear cover part connects to the main body part and/or to the front cover part to make the main body part light-tight. A decorative cardboard outer box contains the camera assembly and has respective openings for the taking lens, the shutter release button, the film advance thumbwheel, the viewfinder, and the frame counter.
To operate the one-time-use camera, the photographer manually rotates the thumbwheel in engagement with the protruding end of a spool inside the cartridge, to rotate the spool in order to wind an exposed frame of a filmstrip into the cartridge. The winding movement of the filmstrip the equivalent of slightly more than one frame width rotates the metering sprocket in engagement with the filmstrip, to decrement the frame counter to its next lower-numbered setting, and to pivot the metering lever into engagement with the thumbwheel to prevent further winding rotation of the thumbwheel. Then, manually depressing the shutter release button to take a picture unlatches a spring-driven high energy lever which pivots the shutter blade to momentarily uncover the taking lens, and pivots the metering lever out of engagement with the thumbwheel to again permit manual rotation of the thumbwheel to wind an exposed frame of the filmstrip into the cartridge. When the maximum number of exposures available on the filmstrip are exposed and the filmstrip is completely rewound into the cartridge, the one-time-use camera is given to a photofinisher who tears the outer box off the camera unit, separates the rear cover part from the main body part, and removes the cartridge with the filmstrip from the main body part. Then, he removes the filmstrip from the cartridge to develop the negatives and make prints for the customer, and he forwards the used camera parts to the manufacturer for recycling, i.e. remanufacture.
It is desirable to make operation of the one-time-use camera relatively quiet. In this connection, it is customary for an anti-backup pawl to be spring-pivoted into continuous engagement with a toothed periphery of the thumbwheel to prevent the thumbwheel from being manually rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of winding rotation. However, engagement of the pawl with the toothed periphery produces a periodic ratcheting sound when the thumbwheel is windingly rotated. This noise presents a problem.
In traditional (re-usable) cameras, such as shown in prior art U.S. Pat. No. 1,133,128, issued Mar. 23, 1915, and No. 2,220,599, issued Nov. 5, 1940, it is suggested that a helical coil spring be coaxially disposed about the shaft of a manually rotatable film winding knob or handle, to be used as a uni-direction clutch to permit winding rotation of the knob or handle and to prevent reverse rotation of the knob or handle. Generally speaking, the coil spring is quieter than the anti-backup pawl. However, the coil spring as disposed does not provide a relatively strong counter-rotation force as compared to the anti-backup pawl.